There is a glimmer of hope for split-screen in Baldur's Gate 3 on Xbox Series S
Larian Studios has announced that there have been technical improvements in optimizing Baldur's Gate 3 for the Xbox Series S console range. There is still a glimmer of hope for the split-screen feature in the Xbox Series S version of the game, although this feature is one of the obstacles preventing the popular RPG from Larian Studios from appearing on modern Xbox consoles.
This seems to be exclusively an issue with the Series S, as the more powerful Series X is capable of running the split-screen. However, they cannot release two different versions of Baldur's Gate 3 due to their affiliation with the same console family. Larian is working hard to optimize the game for both consoles and even went so far as to announce that the Series S may not have split-screen at all. Nevertheless, a new update to improve the game has sparked some hope.
The Game Director of Baldur's Gate 3 Shares Technical Progress for Xbox Series S
According to the Game Director and CEO of Larian Studios, Swen Vincke, the developers have found a "nice gift" on the Xbox Series S. Swen showcases the game's highest RAM and VRAM usage on the Xbox Series S and mentions that the "memory is well controlled" and that the game now has a "buffer for peaks" which was previously missing, preventing the team from realizing Baldur's Gate 3 on the Xbox Series S. Swen also states that this improved performance will "benefit all platforms" the game is available on and that the release on Microsoft consoles is "very close."
Improved performance could enable split-screen for Baldur's Gate 3 on Xbox Series S
Although Swen did not mention whether this improvement would now allow the Series S version of Baldur's Gate 3 to support split-screen functionality, it did raise some hopes. In fact, the voice actor of Halsin, Dave Jones, in a response to Swen's post, asked if the improved RAM and VRAM performance would increase the chances of adding split-screen to the platform. There was no official response to his inquiry, but even this question alone reflects the hopes of the community.
Realistically, Swen's new graphics are likely aimed at getting the game to run at an acceptable level without too many frame rate drops and other performance issues. Essentially, the improved performance will allow the Series S version of Baldur's Gate 3 to appear on the platform faster. The priority seems to be making the game run smoother on the platform, perhaps with shorter loading times, for example. The possibility of split-screen functionality on the Series S is still a distant dream for players. Nevertheless, the news shared by Swen is exciting as it underscores Larian's commitment to release Baldur's Gate 3 on Xbox in 2023.
